Oct 08 – A magnitude-6.3 earthquake, followed by strong aftershocks, has resulted in a significant loss of life in western Afghanistan, as reported by the country’s national disaster authority on Saturday.
The death toll from these powerful earthquakes in western Afghanistan has tragically risen to 2,060, according to a spokesperson from the Taliban government on Sunday. This earthquake marks one of the deadliest to hit the country in the past two decades.
The initial earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.3, was followed by strong aftershocks, causing the loss of dozens of lives in western Afghanistan, as confirmed by the national disaster authority.
However, Abdul Wahid Rayan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, has indicated that the death toll in Herat, due to the earthquake, is higher than initially reported. He mentioned that approximately six villages have been completely destroyed, and hundreds of civilians are trapped beneath the debris. Urgent assistance and rescue efforts are desperately needed.
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The United Nations initially reported a death toll of 320, but later acknowledged that the figure was still being verified. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, local authorities estimated around 100 people killed and 500 injured in the disaster. The update also noted that 465 houses had been destroyed, with an additional 135 suffering damage.
The UN stated, “Partners and local authorities anticipate the number of casualties to increase as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings.”
According to the spokesperson for the national disaster authority, Mohammad Abdullah Jan, the hardest-hit area was the Zenda Jan district in Herat province, where four villages bore the brunt of the quake and subsequent aftershocks.
The United States Geological Survey located the epicenter of the earthquake approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Herat city. It was followed by three very strong aftershocks with magnitudes of 6.3, 5.9, and 5.5, along with several smaller tremors.
Residents in Herat city experienced at least five strong tremors, causing widespread fear and prompting people to evacuate their homes and workplaces.
The World Health Organization in Afghanistan mobilized 12 ambulance cars to Zenda Jan to transport casualties to hospitals and assist in their treatment.
Communication lines in Herat were disrupted, making it challenging to obtain information from affected areas. Social media videos showed hundreds of people gathering in the streets outside their homes and offices in Herat city.
Herat province shares a border with Iran, and the earthquake was also felt in nearby Afghan provinces such as Farah and Badghis, according to local reports.
The Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, expressed condolences to the victims in Herat and Badghis.
The Taliban called on local organizations to provide immediate assistance in the earthquake-affected areas, including transporting the injured to hospitals, providing shelter to the homeless, and delivering food to survivors. They urged security agencies to use all available resources to rescue those trapped under debris.
Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Takashi Okada, expressed his condolences on social media, stating that he was “deeply grieved and saddened to learn the news of the earthquake in Herat province.”
In June 2022, a powerful earthquake struck a remote, mountainous region in eastern Afghanistan, resulting in the collapse of stone and mud-brick homes. That earthquake claimed the lives of at least 1,000 people and injured around 1,500.
